


The Best Gifts are the Ones Unlooked For

by IllogicalHuman



Series: Heart Strings [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, F/M, Family Fluff, Modern Girl in Middle Earth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:08:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28259733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllogicalHuman/pseuds/IllogicalHuman
Summary: The winter season is upon the mountain again and this year Thorin can help Erin observe one of her own winter holidays. Hopefully illness will not ruin the spirit of things.Erin gives Thorin the best gift he could have asked for.
Relationships: Thorin Oakenshield/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Heart Strings [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2070171
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	The Best Gifts are the Ones Unlooked For

**Author's Note:**

> Happiest of Holidays to all. May the holiday you celebrate be full of love and kindness this year. I hope everyone is staying safe in these uncertain times.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this brain child of mine as I try to get back into writing.

Thorin sat at the large desk taking up one corner of the room, ignoring the papers in favor of watching his wife sleep. She had been sleeping more as of late, seeming to draw into herself as the nights grew longer and the bitter cold weather drove everyone into the safety of the mountain.

Cara’s mop of red head was just visible above the blankets where she curled against Erin. The little girl had been sticking closer to her aunt as her health seemed to decline. Two years they had lived in the mountain. They had finally made it back to Arda and completed their quest, he and his nephews surviving thanks to the year-long stay with Erin in her world. He had been ecstatic when she agreed to accompany him back to his home. They had all been surprised when the quest had ended and Mahal himself had shown up with little Cara in tow.

The death of the little girls mother had been a difficult time for Erin and her family. The winter months only seemed to increase the melancholy, the approach of one of their sacred holidays did not alleviate the pain as the family decorated. 

Erin had been more than happy to explain the meaning behind the holiday and how it related to Yule and had evolved over the years, throwing herself into the festivities in an attempt to distract herself from the loss.

……..

The first winter they spent in the mountain they had not had the means to hold to any traditional celebration. Not Erin’s Christmas or the Yule most people of Arda celebrated. The recovery from the battle had been a long one. The second winter, supplies were still tight. Even with trade opened up and caravans of their people flocking to the mountain things were not as good as they should be. The damage to the mountain had been extensive and rebuilding would take time.

Now as the third winter was underway Erin had seemed to fall ill and was not inclined to celebrate much of anything. The company had grown worried as she began to withdraw herself from the group, citing exhaustion or some other excuse. Thorin began moving as much work as he could from his office to their shared rooms, spending time watching over her as she slept restlessly. Thorin decided if she was not well by morning he would have Dis visit, see if she could get anything out of Erin that she refused to share with him.

Cara had seemed to know something was wrong and began popping up at unexpected moments. Usually ducking from lessons with Balin or escaping his nephews or many other members of the company that were tasked with keeping the small girl busy through the day. She always made her way to Erin, sliding up next to her and holding her aunt tight. No one would have the heart to pull the little girl away by the time whoever was responsible for her would finally catch up.

Cara had appeared again only an hour after Thorin had sat at his desk for the evening, already dressed in nightclothes. Fili limping after her only moments later when he had found her missing from her bed. Thorin had simply waved the boy back to his own bed, bidding him goodnight as he closed the door behind him before turning back to his work.

Now he sat hours later watching the two of them sleep. The stress lines that had taken up residence on Erin’s face finally smoothed out as she rested. He lay the papers back down before opening one of the many drawers on the large desk, pulling the gifts he had made Erin and Cara from the back. Tomorrow morning was Christmas day. Even if the holiday was not observed in the mountain, the company still tried to hold a small party for the two that did celebrate. Now he wasn’t sure if Erin would feel like attending. With a heavy sigh Thorin put his things away before readying himself for bed, leaving the gifts on the bedside table for the girls to find in the morning before crawling in beside them.

………

Thoring woke the next morning to Erin shaking him awake. She was leaning over him with a soft smile warming her face as she watched him work the sleep from his eyes as he sat up. Cara had already left, taking her gift with her as she returned to her own rooms to ready herself for breakfast. Erin had not yet opened her present, the small wrapped box still sitting in her lap as she looked at Thorin.

“You remembered.”

“Of course I did. The past two winters were not conductive to celebrating, but we should be able to hold a small gathering with our friends and family this year.”

Erin ran a finger over the ribbon of the gift. “I have something for you as well.”

“Oh? I was not expecting anything truely.”

“I had help making it, and it’s not really wrapped. You also won't be able to hold it for a while i'm afraid.”

Thorin turned a little to face Erin fully, looking at her in some confusion. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.

Erin took Thorin's hand, placing in on her belly before replying, “I’ve been to see a healer. With how tired and sick feeling I’ve been lately I thought it a good idea. Turns out i’m not really sick.”

Thorin took in a slow steading breath as all the pieces began to fall into place, his gaze falling to where his large hand splayed across his wife. The sickness and exhaustion were making much better sense.

“They say I’m due sometime in the summer. Taking human and dwarrow pregnancies into consideration it’s the best estimate we could come up with. Thorin are you okay? You're not saying anything.”

Thorins looked back to Erin’s face. “Are...are they sure? I thought we couldn’t...that it was impossible….” He felt tears gathering. It shouldn’t have been possible. The wound she took at the battle before the mountain was supposed to have ruined any chances of a child.

Erin reached across, pulling Thorin to her in a tight hug. “I thought so too. But I think Mahal had a hand in this. You remember when he brought Cara to us? He came back to me that night and spoke to me, he touched his hand to my brow and spoke something in your language I couldn’t understand. I felt my body grow warm and he sped the healing of my injuries. I think he healed everything. The only thing he said was that our lives would be forever intertwined, that you would not be forced to watch me grow old and die before you, and that I would be given blessings for protecting his children. I think this is one of those blessings.”

Thorin could not stop the tears even if he wanted to. A blessing from Mahal. He would be sure to go to the temple later and give his thanks. 

“I wanted to tell you sooner of course, but I thought the news would make an excellent gift.”

Thorin could only chuckle as he pulled back, smiling at Erin as she grinned brightly. “It is the best gift you could have given me. The others will be relieved it’s nothing too serious, but you will need to be prepared for their mothering. Children are a rare and revered blessing to any family. Bearing mothers are held in the highest of regard.”

“Oh dear, will they be that bad? Really?”

“I will be as well when I can get away with it.”

“The lot of you are completely ridiculous.”

Thorin laughed loudly as he stood from the bed. “That we are. Come, we should get ready.”

Erin pulled herself from under the covers, setting the gift aside to open at the party later and began to get ready as well. Thorin couldn’t keep the grin from his face as the day wore on, both looking forward to that evening. This was going to be a very Merry Chirstmas indeed.


End file.
